Having made the decision to get new sails, I am interested to know what the Pros say is the best way to clean and store sailes to maximize serviceable life.

All resonses appreciated,

From North Sails Website

Caring for your sails
Your sails from North Sails One Design are constructed from the best materials on the market today. Before we made your sails, we tested many different fabrics from the best suppliers in the world.
Mainsail
It is not necessary to remove the battens from the main when storing it. Be sure to roll the sail up parallel to the battens to avoid putting a permanent twist in the battens. Watch the mainsail for signs of wear on the batten pockets where they cross the shrouds. Be sure to wash the sail off with fresh water when it becomes salty and make sure the sail is thoroughly dried before storage.
Genoa
Like the main, always roll the sail after sailing and do not remove the battens. Occasionally wash the sail off with fresh water. If you have been using a lot of leach line on the sail remove this before storing.
Spinnaker
The best thing to prolong the life of your spinnaker is to always store the sail clean and dry. Although this is not always possible! When the sail gets wet in salt water (and it will) wash it off with fresh water and dry it thoroughly if leaving for a long period of time. Fold your spinnaker to store it if possible.

When you roll the sail, is it OK to store it on a flat surface?

yeah sure...the sail sitting on a flat surface see's nothing compared to the loads it carries on the boat. I do loosen all my battens if it's not going to be sailed for more than a day...but I leave them nice and dry in their storage boxes on the trailer. If they went away salty, they come out and get hosed down and strung up in a tree (or preferably hosed down and dried before derigging the boat).

Thanx, good answer.

what about storing stuff in the trailer box? I bought some vents, are they needed?

long term always open the box if its possible. vents are a good idea but they need to be positioned as not to let rain in.

Considering my expereince with storing sails for a season or two .... I'd also advise one should take precautions against rodents, pests or other creepy crawlies that chew or eat things.

Question:
what about condensation and constant temperature fluctuation in the storage box... does that degrade the sails? When i bought my last sail from Robby Daniels (actually his wife) she asked if i kept it in a gear box.. at the time i didn't have one so i said no.. but now that i have one, i am curious about that...

I used to transport my sails IN my car, and carry all my sails up 3 flight of stairs to my apartment every time i sailed (every weekend).... i sure enjoy not having to do that anymore.

Putting stuff away wet is always an issue for me. Most of the time, it's salt water, which seems like it never dries (especially in the box).

I'm wondering if it's really a good idea to store sheets, harnesses, lifejackets, etc. which hold a lot of water in the same box as sails.

Mike

I have a plastic crate (purchased from Home Depot) that I throw all my wet stuff into after sailing. When I get home I fill the crate with fresh water and rinse. I then lay them out to dry. Once dry I put them back into the crate and stow in my trailer box.

I got sick of my car smelling like wet sailing boots so I bought a new one that has no carpetting in it

The whole back of it is one big plastic box :P

In my experience, sails are pretty durable and don't really require a whole lot of "maintenance" but there are definitely some things to avoid. All modern cloths and threads are synthetic, so rotting is generally not an issue. If the sails are stored damp for a short period, it won't really hurt the cloths although they could develop mildew and the windows could fog. However, any aluminum fittings (headboard, clew) will eventually develop corrosion if they're stored in a wet, salty environment for a long period.
UV exposure is definitely a killer for many sails (although some new laminates are bonded with UV inhibiting adhesives). Of course when you're sailing, they're going to be exposed, but don't leave the sails out for long periods if you aren't using them.
Watch for abrasion points on the boat. Also don't roll up your sail on a rough surface like a parking lot. Doing so will wear your sails quickly.
Don't let your sails flog unnecessarily.
Roll your sails for storage. Try not to let them crumple or fold over on themselves and don't put heavy objects on top of the roll or you can put permanent creases in the sail material.

sm